Q: Hi Mamata, a while back, you were on a one-way path to becoming a doctor (your family is full of medical professionals), but that didn't happen. It was a canceled plan.
Yeah, that's been my biggest canceled plan, because for so long that was the one-way trajectory I was on. Everyone thought I was going to be a doctor. I thought I was going to be a doctor, even though I didn't want to be one. Halfway through college, I wasn't doing well in pre-med classes, and it was not because I didn't have the interest or the intelligence to do well. My own mental health issues plus not being naturally good at those subjects was a combination for disaster.
I'm grateful to my mom, who saw me struggling and saw that it wasn't what I wanted to do. She said, "Okay, maybe you should try something different." There were a lot of disappointed people, including me, as it was who I thought I was supposed to be for a long time. That vision was molded by so many people, and it was all I knew as my identity. I still struggle, because it derailed everything.
Q: That couldn't have been easy. How did you navigate that decision? You said you were struggling with mental health back then.
As a child raised in the U.S. with immigrant parents, there is a part of me that is built to become my parents' dreams. That is not at all a knock against immigrant parents in the U.S. with dreams, but it's a lot of pressure on them and their kids. We're finally getting to a place where society has language for it. Back then, I was so compliant, and even the idea of stepping out of that shell was terrifying, because it had been an unsafe comfort zone for so long.
Denne historien er fra October 2023-utgaven av Heartfulness eMagazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra October 2023-utgaven av Heartfulness eMagazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
THE SEEKER OF KNOWLEDGE
SARA BUBBER shares a story from the Upanishads about knowledge, communication, truthfulness, and courage. She then gives us a few reflections and an activity to connect with Nature.
Serving Smiles: FROM HEART TO TABLE
NIROOP PRABHAKAR owns and runs the restaurant 615chutney in Nashville, Tennessee. 615chutney started as the only Indian food truck serving vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free South Indian food. Niroop's goal was to bring South Indian cuisine to the US. He believes that customer service is the key. The voices of his customers and employees matter to him. Here he is interviewed by the Heartfulness Wellness team.
Nature's Humble Superfood
KARUNA RAWAL is interviewed by AAVNI KUPPUSAMY after they met at the SXSW Food Tank event in Austin Texas earlier this year. Karuna speaks about how her company, Nature's Fynd, is pioneering ways to make high protein, high fiber foods from fungi. They offer sustainable agricultural practices without destroying the planet and without the high price tag.
Communicating with Plants and Animals
SARA BUBBER is interviewed by ANANYA PATEL about her experiences of communicating with plants and animals, and how they have enriched her life and her sense of humor.
My Mother's Hands
ANNA MONARDO is coming to terms with her parents' traditional arranged marriage and their struggles to settle in the US and provide a good life for her family. In this brave account, she exposes the problems that many new immigrants face, and honors the roles her parents played in giving her a life free from the shackles of war-torn Europe.
Why Not Artificial Consciousness?
VICTOR KANNAN explores the debate oround whether AI hos consciousness. He comes up with 0 very compelling logic for how it can easily be solved.
Treating Insiders Like Outsiders
DR. ICHAK ADIZES explores the need for effective internal communication and decision-making within organizations, and how we can all contribute to that.
Master yoga 2024 UNESCO PARIS
The Master Yoga exhibition, held at UNESCO House in Paris from June 14 to 21, 2024, marked the 10th anniversary of International Day of Yoga proclaimed by the United Nations. Organized by the \"Yoga for Unity\" collective under the aegis of the Heartfulness Foundation, the event brought together around twenty partner organizations and thirty renowned teachers. CLAIRE BIGAND was the exhibition coordinator, and here shares an overview of the week-long celebration.
Serve, Share, Sacrifice
BAWA JAIN, the Secretary-General for the World Council of Religious Leaders, shares his perspective on the greatest blessing, and his own grounding philosophy that guides him through life.
Becoming Better Communicators
DAAJI shares some tips on how to improve your communication skills, to bring harmony and compassion to daily interactions with others in the workplace, in the family, and everyone you meet.
